Arc 1 - Whispering Ruins

The stone door groaned as it slid open, revealing a yawning abyss beyond. A cold draft swept past us, carrying with it the scent of ancient dust and something far less pleasant—decay. My fur bristled as I peered into the darkness, my heart pounding in anticipation.

"Well, this is inviting," Orish muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. "Smells like something died down there."

"Orish, I think that's the least of our worries," I replied, my gaze still fixed on the darkness beyond the threshold. "Whatever's down there has been waiting for a long time."

Zephyr stepped up beside me, his sharp eyes trying to pierce through the gloom. "I can feel something… It's like the air is thick with magic. We need to be careful."

Lorelin, our sweet voice of reason, nudged me in a calming manner. "Orphe, maybe we should—"

"We're going in," I interrupted, surprising even myself with how firm my voice sounded. "I know it's dangerous, but we came this far. If we turn back now, we might never know what's hidden here. And besides, I have a feeling there's something important down there… something we need to see."

Orsus, nodded resolutely. "If you're going in, then so am I. We'll face whatever's down there together."

I offered him a small smile, feeling a swell of gratitude for my siblings and Zephyr. They didn't have to follow me into the unknown, but here they were, ready to plunge into darkness at my side. It meant more than I could put into words... Knowing that Mom will surely bite us all for that...

"Alright then," I said, turning back to the door. "Let's do this."

I stepped forward, my paws crunching on the loose gravel as I crossed the threshold.

[Attention: You've entered the realm of the Dungeon]

The darkness seemed to close in around me, but I kept moving, my senses on high alert. Behind me, I could hear the others following, their footsteps echoing softly in the stillness.

I wondered why PIA warned me that we've entered... and realm? Was it like... different space or something?

[Explaining Dungeon Rules: The system will help the user during the Dungeon run. All statistics and data will be kept to be later shown to the user. The final completion of the Dungeon is possible only by killing the Dungeon Boss. It can be done without exploring all of the Dungeon's potential and by doing this, the Dungeon will slowly start to disappear, a portal to the entrance of the Dungeon will also appear after killing the Boss, allowing quick return. Some Dungeons are called Trap Dungeons - not allowing anyone to leave before the Boss won't get killed.]

A... o... ok, that actually sounds legit and kind of like the Dungeons I remember reading about in my previous life...

The passage beyond the door was narrow, the walls close enough that my tail and my sibling's fur occasionally brushed against the cold stone. The only light came from the faint glow of our eyes and the occasional crack in the ceiling where thin beams of sunlight filtered down. But the deeper we went, the more those cracks disappeared, leaving us in near-complete darkness.

"Zephyr, can you give us some light?" I asked, my voice hushed.

Zephyr nodded using his wind attribute to call for light, and a soft glow began to emanate from his body, illuminating the passage with a gentle, golden light. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see by, and it made the darkness feel a little less oppressive. I think Zephyr was the only griffin in the region who got to draw powers from the Forest. It seems he got acknowledged just like we were.

"Thanks," I said, grateful for the light but also for the warmth of his presence. There was something comforting about having Zephyr close by, especially in a place like this.

We moved cautiously, every step measured and careful. The walls around us were carved with more of those strange symbols, their meanings still a mystery. Occasionally, we passed what looked like doorways, but most were blocked by rubble or sealed shut by the passage of time.

"This place must have been important to whoever built it," Lorelin mused quietly. "But why was it abandoned? What happened here?"

"Maybe we'll find out," Orish replied, his voice tense with anticipation. "Or maybe we'll wish we hadn't."

I was also wondering how much of this place were the ruins that were here before, and how much was actually created by the appearance of the Dungeon.

We descended deeper into the ruins, the air growing colder with each step. The scent of decay grew stronger, and my unease deepened. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched, that something—or someone—was lurking just out of sight.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the passage finally opened up into a larger chamber. Zephyr's light spilt out, revealing a vast space filled with crumbling pillars and broken statues. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, undisturbed for who knows how long.

What drew my attention was the massive stone structure in the centre of the chamber. It looked like an altar of some kind, ancient and worn, with more of those strange symbols carved into its surface. But what really caught my eye was the object resting on top of it—a glowing orb, pulsing with a soft, eerie light.

"What is that?" Orsus asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"I don't know," I admitted, taking a cautious step closer. "But I think we found what we're looking for."

PIA's voice echoed in my mind, its tone more urgent than usual. Suggestions given by PIA were often useful.

----

Ancient Orb

Type: Unknown Artifact

Status: Active

Potential Threat: Extremely High

Function: Contains a powerful, dormant energy. Interaction could trigger unpredictable effects.

Warning: Proceed with extreme caution.

----

"Well, that's not ominous at all," I muttered. "I have a feeling this thing is dangerous. We need to be careful."

"Do we… touch it?" Orish asked, eyeing the orb with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Oh, so not only humans in my world love to touch things that yell from afar 'I'm dangerous'? Seems my little silly brother would love to do the same...

"Touch it?" I echoed, giving him a look. "Have you learned nothing from all those stories about cursed artefacts? We don't touch it, Orish."

Lorelin stepped closer, her golden eyes fixed on the orb. "Maybe we don't need to touch it to learn what it does. Maybe we can… study it from a distance?"

I nodded, glad someone else was thinking clearly. "Yeah, let's not poke the magic orb of doom just yet."

But even as I said it, I felt a strange pull toward the orb. It was as if it was calling to me, whispering in a language I couldn't quite understand. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Whatever this thing was, it was powerful, and I couldn't afford to lose focus.

"Orphe," Zephyr's voice cut through my thoughts, "there's something… off about this chamber. I can feel it. The magic here is… unstable."

Before I could respond, the ground beneath us began to tremble. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling, and the pillars around the room groaned under the strain. The orb on the altar pulsed brighter, its light flickering ominously.

"Uh, guys…?" Orsus's voice was laced with panic as the shaking grew more intense.

"We need to get out of here!" Lorelin shouted, her eyes wide with fear.

But before we could move, the floor beneath us gave way. I barely had time to react as the ground crumbled, and we were plunged into the darkness below.

I fell for what felt like forever, the air rushing past me as I tumbled through the void. My heart was in my throat, my mind racing as I tried to figure out what was happening. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the fall ended with a bone-jarring impact.

For a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Pain radiated through my body, and all I could hear was the ringing in my ears. But slowly, the world came back into focus, and I realized that I was lying on cold, hard stone.

"Everyone okay?" I croaked, my voice hoarse.

There were groans and shuffling sounds as my siblings and Zephyr slowly picked themselves up.

"I think so," Zephyr replied, his voice shaky. Seems something made it impossible for him to use his wings when we were falling. "But what the heck just happened?"

"We fell," Orish said, stating the obvious and making me snort as he rubbed his head with his paw. "But where are we?"

I pushed myself up, wincing at the pain in my limbs. We were in another chamber, much darker and colder than the one above. The only light came from the faint glow of the orb, now lying on the ground a few feet away, still pulsing with that eerie light.

"Looks like we're in a whole new level of creepy," I muttered, trying to get my bearings.

Lorelin limped over to me, her fur dusted with dirt - finally. "Orphe, what do we do now?"

I looked around, trying to think through the pain and confusion. We were in a bad situation, that much was clear. But we weren't dead, and that meant we still had a chance.

"We get up," I said, forcing myself to stand. "We figure out where we are, and we keep moving. There's no turning back now."

Zephyr fluttered his wings, shaking off the dust. "And we keep an eye on that orb. I don't like it."

"Neither do I," I admitted, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the glowing object. "But it's not going anywhere, and neither are we. We need to find a way out of here, and fast."

With that, we gathered ourselves and began to explore the new chamber. The walls were lined with strange, ancient markings, and the air was thick with a sense of foreboding. But I couldn't shake the feeling that we were getting closer to something, something big.

And whatever it was, I knew it was going to change everything.